This invention relates to a movable connector.
In a vehicle such as an automobile, connectors to be connected together are often provided respectively at two members which are fixed to each other. One of the two members is, for example, an equipment such as one of various units or an instrument panel, while the other member is, for example, a mounting panel on a vehicle body.
For example, when an instrument panel (attachment member) is to be mounted on a mounting panel (mounting member), one connector is, in some cases, fixedly mounted on the mounting panel, while the other connector is mounted on the instrument panel. The two connectors are so provided that when the instrument panel is fixedly mounted at a predetermined portion of the mounting panel, the two connectors can be positioned relative to each other, and can be properly fitted together. Therefore, when mounting the instrument panel, the two connectors are broadly positioned relative to each other so that they can be properly fitted together, and in this condition the instrument panel is fixed to the mounting panel by screws or the like, thereby fitting the two connectors together.
However, the above related connectors can be properly fitted together only when the attachment member is properly fixed to the mounting member. Therefore, when the instrument panel is not properly fixed to the mounting panel, for example, because of a mounting error or the like, the two connectors, in some cases, fail to be properly fitted together, and this has led to a possibility that defective contact due to the incompletely-fitted condition develops.
There is known a movable connector which can solve the above problem (see, for example, JP-A-9-73950).
FIGS. 13 and 14 are views showing the construction of the related movable connector disclosed in JP-A-9-73950. This movable connector includes a first connector 130 to be fixed to a first member (not shown)) which is one of two members to be fixed to each other, a holder 110 for mounting on the second member, and a second connector 120 movably mounted within the holder 110. Before the first and second members are completely fixed to each other, the second connector 120 is provisionally locked to the holder 110. In accordance of the movement of the first member toward the second member, the second connector 120 is fitted into the first connector 130. The second connector 120 can be moved within the holder 110 by an amount corresponding to an amount of movement of the first member relative to the second member before this first member is brought into completely-fixed relation to the second member. The provisionally-locked condition is achieved by engaging lock projections 121 (formed respectively on right and left side surfaces of the second connector 120) respectively in lock holes 111 in the holder 110 and also by engaging lock projections 122 (formed respectively on upper and lower surfaces of the second connector 120) respectively with lock projections 112 on an inner surface of the holder 110.
In the movable connector of this construction, when the first connector 130 is inserted relative to the second connector 120 attached to the holder 110, the first connector 130 is fitted on the second connector 120 provisionally locked to the holder 110. Then, when the attachment member (not shown), having the first connector 130 fixedly mounted thereon, is fixed to the mounting member, having the holder 110 mounted thereon, after the second connector 120 and the first connector 130 are completely fitted together, the first connector 130 is further pushed into the holder 110, so that the provisionally-locked condition of the second connector 120 and holder 110 is canceled, and the second connector 120 is further pushed rearward relative to the holder 110 by a pressing force of the first connector 130. Namely, at the time of finally fixing the attachment member, the connectors 120 and 130 already completely fitted together are pushed rearward relative to the holder 110 by an amount of movement of the attachment member.
Thus, the first connector 130 and the second connector 120 are completely fitted together before the attachment member and the mounting member are completely fixed to each other, and therefore even when the attachment member and the mounting member are not completely fixed to each other, the two connectors are positively kept in the completely-fitted condition.
In the related movable connector disclosed in JP-A-9-73950, the second connector 120 must be inserted into the holder 110 to be provisionally locked thereto after the holder 110 is mounted on the mounting member, and if this mounting operation can be carried out more easily, this is desirable. And besides, in the movable connector of JP-A-9-73950, the separate holder 110 must be prepared, so that the number of the component parts increases, and therefore it is desirable to reduce the cost by some means. Furthermore, in the movable connector of JP-A-9-73950, although the second connector 120 is movable within the holder 110, the second connector 120 can move freely only in the connector fitting direction, and therefore if the shifting of the connector in a direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction can be absorbed, this is more desirable. Namely, for example, there are occasions when the two connectors are disposed out of alignment with each other, that is, shifted relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the connector fitting direction, at the time of fixing the attachment member to the mounting member, and in this case if terminals of the two connectors can be prevented from unnecessarily striking against each other, and unnecessary stresses due to such undue striking action do not act on these terminals, this is more desirable.